HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-04-28, Page 111,
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Clinton, Ontario
25 cents
Weather
1977 1976
Thursday, April 28, 1977
Clinton council upset
112th Year - No. 17
APRIL
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1 1 -" snow
Education levy may up taxes 142
By Jim Fitzgerald
Like all municipalities in Huron
County, Clinton faces a large increase in
education levies this year, and for the
average property tax payer in Clinton,
the 14 -mill tax hike could mean $42 extra
in taxes this year, and Clinton council
are upset with the hike.
At their meeting last Thursday night,
council unanimously endorsed a
resolution from Exeter 'towncouncil,
expressing concern over the 21 percent
hike in education tax in town. Clinton
joins agrowing list of Huron
municipalities that don't like the in-
creased levy. Bayfield, Seaforth,
Tuckersmith Township Howick
Township, have protested while
Goderich has already met the board to
point out their concern.
Clinton clerk -treasurer Cam Proctor
said that the board doesn't have to
substantiate any of their figures because
they are a separate body elected by the
public.
"We (Clinton) just act as collectors of
the tax for the board," Proctor pointed
not ''hut W.4-* pqn ' hnw nn nilr tax forms
the breakdown of the mill rate."
The board's 19 hudget was set at
$.'0,5:'9,864, an 11 percent increase over
the previous year's $18,4(i;,I 10.
The budget requires $5,.01,993 in tax
levies from the .'(i municipalities, with
each municipality's share based on an
equalized assessment rating.
Last year, the total tax hill for a home
in Clinton with a $3,000 assessment was
':1.''4, and with the education levy alone,
it could rise to at least $5',0, and the
municipality has to set their own hudget
yet.
35119,000 worth started
April sets record for building
A building boom has hit Clinton,
council learned last Thursday night, as
what is believed to be a new record has
been established so far in April.
As of April 111, a total of $589,230 worth
• Grandstand steel ready
4
•
Work is ahead of schedule on Clinton's
new $250,000, 1,200 seat grandstand and
the Clinton Kinsmen are optimistic the
facility will be ready for the Spring Fair,
which starts on June 3:
Final completion is set for June 24, two
days before the racing season starts.
Cale Doucette and Ger-Rock Forming
completed pouring the concrete footing
early this week, with the drains being
Baptist church opens
year after bad fire
Following a fire ony.Uy i1?, 19%6 a1nd
$50,000 later, Clintons. � First Bapti`s't'
Church had its official opening on
Sunday, April 24. -
The service, held at 7:30 p.m. was
attended by more than 100 people and
various representatives spoke at the re-
dedication.
The service was conducted by Deacon
« .Jack Christiaans and Rev. Keith Cooney
from the Department of Ministry of the
Baptist Convention of Ontario and
Quebec and Rev. McWhinnie of
Goderich read the scripture and led the
prayers..
Words of greeting were given by Bud
Kuehl of Huron Pines Contracting and
Chester Brown from Sarnia, the
representative of the Middlesex-
Lambton Association of Baptist Chur-
ches.
Special music was provided by Mr.
and Mrs. .Jerome Fabian and Bill Chase
of Goderich, with Ed Stiles at the piano.
Donations will go to the building fund
of the church.
SI C01/1lJll�
By Jim Fitzgerald
It's always the little seemingly in-
significant things in life that seem to
cause the most trouble. And the News -
Record is no exception. Take last week
for instance. While most readers were
unaware of it, .a 59 cent piece of wire
crippled a $500,000 press and forced the
Signal -Star Publishing to seek presstime
elsewhere, in fact all the way to
Woodstock. But because of the hard
work of our pressroom crew and mailing
c;-ew, most readers got their paper in
time', despite the 12 -hour delay.
+++
Another little thing like a malfunc-
tioning camera also caused us no end of
trouble, and as a result we are forced to
apologize to the Vanastra Lions and
Scouts for the lack of pictures on their
dedication last week.
+ ++
But some good things did happen.
* Shelley McPhee, fresh out of graduating
journalism class of Ryerson
Polytechnical Institute in Toronto has
joined the reporting ranks of the News -
Record, and should be a real asset to the
town: Shelley, 21, worked here as a
summer student last year, so is no
stranger to these parts.
+ +
We can't help think that with
provincial election fever iri the air, do
you think the Conservatives will run a
M candidate in Huron after closing all
these arenas, and attempting to close
several hospitals?
-4-++
From the latest issue of Safety Canada
comes these first aid hints given by a
grade four class in the States:
For fainting - "Rub the person's chest.
If a lady, rub her arm above the hand."
. For asphyxiation - "Apply artificial
respiration until. the victim is dead."
M
Por snake bit Bleed the wtlund and
rape the victim in a blanket for shock."
installed by the done by
town to be
Friday.
Steel for the structure is set to arrive
next Monday, May 2, with erection to
start on Tuesday.
Kinsmen president Paul Kerrigan said
yesterday that the structure should be
ready for seats by May 16.
He said that the club hoped to have
painting bees to have the seats painted,
and the bees would likely start on May 6.
An appeal last week for volunteers to
phone in their names to the town hall
met with no response, so Kerrigan said
they would likely ask volunteers to
appear at the site with their paint
brushes starting on May 6.
The Kinsmen are also planning a beef
barb'eitt '°'far°'Jtihe 11 to raise money tow
pay for the grandstand. Tickets are
available from any Kinsman or Kinette.
Kerrigan also announced that the
Raceway has hired Billie Hunt of
Woodstock as their new race secretary,
to replace retiring Frank Cook. Mrs.
Hunt will also look after the Woodstock
raceway.
Meanwhile it has been' announced that
Goderich won't race this year. They're
giving up their dates with the hope of
getting them back next year. The
Goderich grandstand, like Clinton's was
also condemned by the Ontario Racing
Commission.
Iii: ; srnen c
The Maitland River was alive with
adventurers on Sunday, April 24 as the
Clinton Kinsmen held their first annual
canoe race from Auburn to Holmesville.
The 14 -mile race. which was entered
by 5' competitors raised over $1,200 for
Cystic Fibrosis. It was deemed as an
overwhel'mi,ng success by organizer,'
Gary Merner.
Many wet, but happy winners
emerged from the mighty Maitland. In
the men's expert class, Rene
Boogemans and Ted Cowen of Hensall
came in first with a time of. one hour
and 42 minutes. In second place were Sid
Strangle and his partner Julius
Langpcter of Windsor. -
in the men's advance amateur class,
Don Craig and Edward Tait of Bothwell
Gregorasz of I.ori't1on brought his kayak
of building was going on in Clinton, in-
cluding, a new grandstand valued at
":'50,000 and eight new homes, worth
$315, 00.
Building permits approved by council
included Cale Doucette, three houses at
$40,000 each: Tom Chuter, two houses at
$35,000 and $45,000; Murray Cook, house,
$40,000: Bruce Allen pre -fah house,
\:'wt, 00; Ronald Young, house, `♦;45,000:
Buffy's Burgers, addition, $7,000; Don
Petteplace, garage, $1,500; Noah
Zeeman, balcony, $500; Wm. Bucham,
alterations, $1,000; Jim Sturgeon, porch`,
$1,000; Petroleum Maintenance, un-
derground storage tanks, $6,000; Clinton
Lawn Bowling, fence, $1,000• W. Mon-
tgomery, renovations, $2,000; Jack Yeo,
planter, $300; Frank Chapman, tool
shed, $230; Stan Falconer, alterations,
$3,000.
In other' business, council expressed a
desire to meet with their lawyer, their
engineer, and the developer over the
proposed 104 -lot subdivision called
Centennial Heights in the north-west
corner of town.
CouncU wants to go over the sub.
division agreement before construction
'-is started on -the housing project.
The town will also take over garbage
collection at Morgan's Mobile Horne
Park, beginning the first of May.
The town felt that now they collect
taxes from each of 50 mobile ,home
owners, they should pick up their gar-
bage, at a cost of $1,430 per year.
During debate of the garbage by-law,
Ernie Brown wondered if the town's
garbage collector couldn't pick up more
than three bags of garbage per
household, each week, including trash
and leaves.
According to the by-law, the con-
tractor, Randy Glew, only has to pick up
fl�./' rac
in tor second place.
In the Kinsmon zone interclub
division, Don .Jefferson and Dick Kloss
of Clinton gained first place with a time
of one hour and 59 minutes. Ron Coghlin
and Bruce Honson.of Wingham brought
their craft in second.
Larry and David Ag.la of Harriston
came in with a time of two hours and 3
minutes to take first place in the family
class. • Leroy and Jeff Jackson of
Wingham came in second.
After the exhausting day, the con-
testants were invited to the
White Carnation for a warm-up party. In,
the draw, Olive Johnston of Clinton won
the 16 -foot canoe, .Jack Peck of Clinton
received the wrist watch and the tool box
was won by Gerald Armstrong of RR 1,
Zurich.
three hags per house, and doesn't have
to pick up garden refuse or ashes.
Councillor Rosemary Armstrong,
head of the sanitation and waste com-
mittee, said she had seen Mr. Glew pick
up more than three bags "lots of times".
"I've seen him pick 'up nine bags of
garbage at one time," Councillor Ron
McKay added.
Council will also draw up a by-law to
he signed by the town and the Clinton
Business Association to permit the
operation of the Farmer's Market, set to
shirt on King Street on June 4.
Council also agreed to replant the 80
streetlight planters again this year at a
cost of $5 each, with .the Horticulture
Society paying half the cost.
r
„�: a �•y„
•t*
Snowballs in May?
With the trees in leaf, the spring grain sown, and the golfers out on the course,
last winter's remnants are still around in Huron. Typical is this drift on the lith
of Stanely;'bnce 25 feet deep with still seven feet of snow left in it. Mack Web-
ster, lett, of Varna, and George Demers of Watford tried out the snow last
Sunday when this picture was taken. Mack says the drift will likely last until
mid•May, making eight straight months of snow on the ground in this area.
(News Record photo) r"
Students, teachers back textbooks
By Shelley McPhee
English department heads, students
and principals of Huron County's five
secondary schools spoke in support of
their present- English courses at a
special meeting of the Huron County
Board of Education on April 26.
The: evening heard by more than 200
people, discussed the use of such books
as John Steinheck's "Of Mice and Men"
and "Grapes of Wrath" and Salinger's
"Catcher in the Rye."
The representatives from the various
high schools spoke on the use, the
reaction, and the importance of teaching
such modern literature to . senior
students. All agreed that there was
nothing immoral or offensive about the
hooks and if taken in proper context act
as a valuable learning device for the
Students.
Audrey Tiffin, Eng11-)ish department
s1, 20
paddled to first place with a time of one
hour and 44 minutes. They were followed
by Don Verhaeghe and John Silvestre of
Wallacehurg.
Peter Black and Jack Calcutt of St.
Marys came in with a time of one hour
and 44 minutes to take first place in the
men's amateur class. John Jorna and
Doug Krziyzek of St. Marys came in
second.
In the advance amateur class, Warren
Knight and Linda Smith of Brussels
steered through the course in one hour
and 46 minutes to take first place. A St.
Marys team of Leonard . and Brenda
Pearson came in second.
A kayak class was won by Gunther
Kippert of Sarnia coming in first with a
time of one hour and 47, minutes. Les
They're off! With the sound of the gun, the men's amateur
class hits they' paddles on their- way from Auburn ,to
Holtilegvilie mist Sunday in the kinsmen 'Club of Clinton's
flrr.4t' ttttinutl ciat nt' etre(' 1'i,' club realized SI,200 for Cystle
1,.
Fibrosis in the 1 event, Which attracted 57 entries.
Although the visao was low, near perfect conditions
prevailed. (News -Record photo)
Mad at F.E. Madill Secondary School in
Wingham explained to the board that,
"literature "acts as a mirror of life."
She went on to say that she com-
mended the parents' interest but wants
them to trust the students' intelligence
and the teachers' professional duties to
respond to literature. -
Elizabeth Twiss, English head at
Central Huron Secondary School in
Clinton said, "It's not the role of
literature to offer model behaviour,
however it should offer ideas on loyalty
and humanity."
To support her use of the so-called.
"filthy" books she quoted . from Plato's
Apology, "The unexamined life is not
worth living."
.John Stringer, Principal of Goderich
District Collegiate Institute, spot' e on
the selection of books to be used and the
pressure from the interest groups.
He explained that the books are not
chosen by individuals but by a highly
qualified group of department heads
with board approval.
Stringer said that interest groups were
attacking the function 'of the schools
through their attacks on the English •
books, "We cannot allow pressure
groups to dominate the school and
destroy the search for truth."
Phil Knight, the student council
president of South Huron District -
Secondary School in Exeter, also sup-
ported the books he is studying.
"Parents should trust their sons and
daughters. We have your views and our
views on life and•through these books we
see another view." .
Knight explained to the board that by
taking these hooks off the course the
students are being robbed of some
reality and the teachers are being
robbed of their years of training.
Blake Palmer, a grade 13 student from
South Huron, said that the students are
not being corrupted;•-• `-'As a society we
have to look for more than four-letter
words and sex in books. -
He explained the use of the books, "We
delve into theme and character. We
learn about ourselves and learn to come
to grips with ourselves."
Board trustee Dorothy Wallace sup-
ported the hooks. She said "I'm upset
that one of my favourite books, "Of Mice
and Men" is considered immoral. It is
On page 3
Council, PUC to help factory
Clinton council decided that they and
the Public Utilities Commission will do
anything they can to help keep the
Sherlock Manning Piano Factory
operating in town, but as far as they
know, there is little other physical help
they can offer the 36 -employee plant.
Councillor Ray Garon, chairman of
the industrial committee said that he,
Guss Boussey of the PUC, and the piano
factory's insurance agent had met over
the claimed shortage of • water at the
plant, and decided it was up to the
company to rectify the situation.
"There's a six-inch main going in
there now at 4; pounds (per square inch
pressure) • the largest in town," said
Garon.
"What they need is 75 pounds to
operate their sprinkler system so they
would need a large reservoir with back-
up pumps," Mayor Harold Lobb added.
Cost of the reservoir is estimated at
'00,000, and Garon agreed the town
should help the company get whatever
grants are available.
The company's insurance premium
was quadrupled this year from $4,000 to
M:' ',000 because there was not onough
water to run their sprinkler system.
In other business, council agreed to go
ahead with a new storm sewer on Erie
Street, after receiving the engineers cost
estimate of $24, 700.
"I think we can put it in for a lot less
money, than that using our own men,"
public works chairman Ernie Brown
said,
Council also learned that they must
have their speed limit signs changed
over to the metric system -by September
30. -
"Couldn't you still ♦'leave the old
numbers on underneath for us old-
timer's," joked Mayor Lobb.
Clinton's new pigeon patrol was also
giVep a budget.•
Co incillor brown told council that he
wanted to buy the town's new pigeon
catcher, Mery Batkin, ari'$8 trap and a
bushel of wheat, to feed the captured
pigeons while on their way to the Far-
mer's Market in Kitchener.
Council also agreed to live up to one of
Mayor Lobb's election promises, and
look into renovating the former police
office into a mayor's office that could be
used by both Lobb and the council to
meet the public.
"I think we should concur with the
mayors request, and bring a report
back to council," Reeve Royce
Macaulay said.
The town also will sign contracts over
the new grandstand, in order to be
eligible for grants, but the K insmen Club
are assuming the liability for the debt.
Council advanced Twin Locks Iron
works, suppliers of the steel, $10,000, and
paid Henry Mero of Seaforth $3,500 to
tear down the old structure.
Vanastra to get
resource centre
by Shelley McPhee.
Vanastra will be developing its own
resource centre to pr.: ~'^ m.. ac-
cessible services to area residents and
promote community participation.
Approximately 45 members of the
community met with the Clinton Branch
of the' Huron County Health Unit and
other service agencies on Tuesday, April
19 to discuss the project.
The afternoon meetir. ; held at the
Vanastra Christian Church consisted of
a panel of representatives from the
various agencies who will volunteer
their services for the neighbourhood
centre.
Liz McHugh, from the steering com-
mittee, which incorporates the various
agencies said, "Vanastra needs coni •
munity services since economics and
On page 3